This document provides an update on open data initiatives in Greater Manchester. It discusses plans to release Metrolink fare data, road traffic accident data, bus route mapping data, and real-time data feeds for car parks, Metroshuttle buses, and Metrolink trams. Challenges and timelines are outlined for making various transit and traffic datasets openly available in open data formats. Approval is still needed for some datasets, and development is ongoing to establish an architecture using Microsoft's Windows Azure cloud platform to host real-time transportation data.

1. Open Data Update
Presented By:
Craig Berry (Information Manager)
Dave Busby (Integrated Transport Systems Manager)
29/05/12

2. Metrolink Fares
• Received approval to release Metrolink fares data
• Working to ensure available in an open data format
• Probably available via TfGM website. Could link from DataGM
• Aim to release Jujy 2012

3. Road Traffic Accidents in GM
Accident_Index Junction_Control
Location_Easting_OSGR 2nd_Road_Class
Location_Northing_OSGR 2nd_Road_Number
Longitude Pedestrian_Crossing-Human_Control
Latitude Pedestrian_Crossing-Physical_Facilities
Police_Force Light_Conditions
Accident_Severity Weather_Conditions
Number_of_Vehicles Road_Surface_Conditions
Number_of_Casualties Special_Conditions_at_Site
Date Day_of_Week Carriageway_Hazards
Time Urban_or_Rural_Area
Local_Authority_(District) Did_Police_Officer_Attend_Scene_of_Accident
Local_Authority_(Highway) Pedestrian
1st_Road_Class Non-motorised vehicle (Rider/passenger)
1st_Road_Number Powered 2 wheel (Rider/passenger)
Road_Type Private vehicle (Driver/passenger)
Speed_limit Passenger vehicle (Driver/passenger)
Junction_Detail Goods Vehicle (Driver/passenger)

4. Bus Routes
• We have now identified and tested an efficient and effective
methodology to create an open data version of the bus route
mapping, with approval from OS. This open data version is based
upon the OS VMD road network dataset, which is itself a free open
data product.
• The data we propose to release would:
– be published in multiple GIS file formats such as Google Earth
(.kml), MapInfo (.tab), and ESRI (.shp);
– contain a separate route line for each bus service;
– contain attribute information such as route number and
description.
– 1:25,000 scale OS VectorMap District

5. Bus Routes
Field name Description
ServiceID Unique ID, created from
Service_no + “_” + Suffix + “_” + Direction + “_” + Day + “_” +
Variation
(NB: values can be null, making the field variable length)
Service_Key Unique ID, created from
“* “ + Service_no + Suffix + Direction + Day + Variation + “*”
with all fields padded to a fixed length using spaces
Service_no bus service number
Suffix bus service number suffix
Direction Inbound / Outbound / Circular
Day 1 = Weekdays / 3 = Saturday / 4 = Sundays / 5 = Bank Holidays
Variation bus service variant
Service_Type General / Night Service / Schools / Works / Yellow School Bus
Route_Desc Description of the main locations served on the route

6. Other Datasets - Awaiting Approval
Frequent bus services in GM 2000 - 2011 - The number of frequent bus services operating in GM 2000 - 2011. Source:
TfGM Bus & Rail.
Bus patronage UK & selected EU cities - Bus Patronage in the UK & Selected EU cities. Source: PTEG / EMTA / DfT.
Bus Lanes in GM by district - Bus lanes in Greater Manchester by district, location and length. Source: TfGM (HFAS).
Metrolink Km per passenger 1993 - 2010 - Total Passenger Km travelled on Metrolink 1993 - 2010.
Metrolink park & ride spaces - Park & ride spaces by Metrolink station / stop. Source: TfGM Metrolink.
Rail Park & Ride spaces - Park & Ride spaces at Rail stations in GM. Source: TfGM.
Categories of railway stations in GM - GM railway stations by category & facilities operator
Rail patronage GM - Rail patronage in GM 1980 - 2011. Source: TfGM
Metrolink patronage 1993 - 2010 - Metrolink patronage in GM 1993 - 2011. Source: TfGM Metrolink.
Mode of travel to work GM & Districts - Mode of travel to work by GM and district. UK figures included. Source: 2005
update of 2001
Taxi and Private hire use in GM - Taxi statistics available for GM, including travel to work/school by taxi. Source
DfT/TfGM data.

7. Car Parks Real-Time Data Feeds
• Proposal to release car parks data: location, capacity and real-time data
feeds showing number of available spaces
• Feeds are generated every 10 minutes.
• Available in a lightweight JSON format
• Awaiting for a costed proposal from database supplier
• Budget has been identified
• Awaiting approval
• Approximately 1 week development work
• Target release date – August 2012

8. Metroshuttle Real-Time Location Data
• Discussions with Actia
• Received proposal
• Posted proposal on Open Data GM Google Discussion Board
• Gathered comments from open data community and entered into
further discussions with Actia
• Discussions with Microsoft over hosting real-time data in the cloud
(Windows Azure) (TfL approach)
• Release target date – August 2012

9. Metroshuttle Real-Time Data Challenges
• Limited real time data available
• The position of the bus, stationary/moving
• Every 60 sec
• Possibly bus running board route information
• 3 floating buses that can do any route

10. Metroshuttle Real-Time Data Challenges
• Data may take 60 sec to arrive on TfGM site
• Data will be time stamped
• GPS location data may suffer drift
• Stop information, schedule & route currently
available
• Buses park at station prior to start of each
service

11. Metrolink Real-Time Feeds from Passenger
Information Displays
Information derived from the Tram Management System
Stage 1.
Feed of display information for each stop
Will come on line as each stop feed comes on line
Structured as a display feed
Target date September 2012
Stage 2.
SIRI real time feed providing complete schedule/Real time feed
Target Spring 2013

12. Real-time architecture
• TfGM working with Microsoft to develop an information architecture
that is suitable to host real-time data
• Hosted in the cloud – Windows Azure
• Always up/available
• Unlimited storage
• Enables quick deployment

13. FINALLY
TfGM will support developers
where we can
We want this to work for
Manchester